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![35
Ongoing increase in users posing online
risk
Report from Stop it Now! UK, 2014
“In co m pariso n with the sam e
q uarte r last ye ar [July-Se pte m be r]
the num be r o f pe o ple co ntacting the
He lpline who have o ffe nde d o nline
incre ase d by 35% and tho se
co nce rne d that the ir Inte rne t use is
o ut o f co ntro lincre ase d by 46 % . ”
Graph shows Num be r o f ne w calle rs
who we re co nce rne d abo ut the ir o wn
be havio ur, o ffline and o nline](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/p5fp322paskellstop140415-150624095320-lva1-app6891/85/Stop-it-Now-35-320.jpg)
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Stop it Now
The document discusses the 'Stop It Now!' helpline, a public health initiative in the UK and Netherlands aimed at preventing child sexual abuse by offering anonymous support and guidance to those at risk. It details the helpline's user demographics, effectiveness, and the toolkit developed for establishing similar services across Europe. The project is co-funded by the EU to enhance efforts against child sexual abuse and includes public awareness campaigns and a structured approach for helpline setup.
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Stop it Now
- 1. Stop it Now! A programmeto prevent child sexual abuse in the UK and Netherlands – originating in the US
- 2. Talking to abusers:The role of the Stop it Now! Helpline in protecting children from online abuse, UK & NL Dr Caroline Paskell NatCen Social Research, UK
- 3. 3 Subject and purposeof presentation Subject A public-health helpline to prevent child sexual abuse Evidence from research in UK and NL, but focus on UK Attention to helpline users who pose risk, esp. online Purpose Discuss the role within broader prevention strategy Identify relevance and opportunities for use elsewhere
- 4. Stop it Now!UK & NL
- 5. 5 Stop it Now!UK and NL Public health approach to CSA Public awareness campaign, helpline with target groups, and referral to specific support UK: online monitoring software specific provision to parents, UK established 2002, following basis of Stop it Now! in USA Catalysed founding in 2012 of Stop it Now! Netherlands
- 6. 6 Stop it Now!UK and NL helplines Purpose Anonymous information, advice, support & guidance Anyone concerned about child sexual abuse Target groups include people concerned for a child, or about another person’s behaviour or about themselves Delivery First phase: telephone and email provision (Stop!/InHope) Second phase: more specialised/therapeutic/psychological Gateway to other services: LFF/de Waag & other agencies
- 7. 7 Profile of Stop!UK helpline users Table : Calls to the Helpline by caller group (includes calls and emails), 2013 Caller group Calls Callers N % N % Concerned about own behaviour 3,493 56% 1445 41% Concerned about own behaviour (July-Sept 2014) . 59% . . Concerned about child/young person'sbehaviour 273 4% 198 6% Concerned a child may have been abused 236 4% 201 6% Professionals 331 5% 303 9% Survivorsof child sexual abuse 156 2% 124 4% Other callers 357 6% 301 9%
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- 10. 10 Study aims andEU co-funding Aims Inform and enhance efforts to tackle child sexual abuse By investigating operation and impact of the Stop it Now! helplines in UK and Netherlands And devising a toolkit to support sim ilar provision elsewhere Funding EU financial support for activities with a focus on justice Daphne III programme aims to contribute to protection of children, young people and women against violence
- 11. 11 Project partners Lucy FaithfullFoundation de Waag The Prevention Project Dunkelfeld (Berlin) Save the Children Finland
- 12. Achieved sample: UK Numbertaking part in interviews/focusgroups Number completing questionnaire Adults concerned about behaviour 32 (all known: 29 online) 50 Other adults who can help prevent 14 19 Victims/survivors of CSA 0 4 Professionals 1 27 Reason for calling unknown N/A 12 Total 47 112 12 User feedback in UK: 32 interviews, 2 focus groups, 112 questionnaires User feedback in NL: 14 interviews/questionnaires + admin data on 254
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- 14. 14 Theoretical framework Offenders& offences vary; risk of offending is dynamic; but: Protectivefactorsthat may support desistencefromsexual offending (de Vries Robbe et al, 2013). Healthy sexual interests Constructive social/professional support network Good problem solving Abstention from drug/alcohol misuse Capacity for emotional intimacy and satisfying relationships with other adults Capacity to set goals and work towards their achievement Engagement in constructive and rewarding employment or other activities Hopeful, optimistic and motivated attitude to desistence
- 15. Improved wellbeing/ability to self manage Recognise risky behaviour Beliefin ability to change Techniques to manage behaviour Changed behaviour /circumstanc e Reduced risk Helpline Other servicese.g. •Inform, Inform Plus Securus •GP, mental health specialist, social services
- 16. Recognise risk I'd convince d m yse lf that … the picture s… I'd lo o ke d at, the re was no victim 16
- 17. Belief in change 17 …the re is so m e o ne to talk to , to say, 'Rig ht, yo u kno w? The re are ste ps yo u ne e d to do to addre ss the se de m o ns’ - yo u kno w?
- 18. Techniques to managebehaviour 18 I'm no t saying I'm e ve r g o ing to be cure d, but the strate g ie s are in place to sto p m e re o ffe nding no w. I'm 22 and want to le arn to co pe with m y se xualinte re st in childre n so Iwillne ve r harm the m .
- 19. Changed behaviour Of the32 people who answered this part of the questionnaire, two thirds reported ‘they felt more able to manage their sexual thoughts’ and ‘more able to manage their sexual behaviour’ since using Stop! 19 • No access to pornography • Reduce time online • Displacement activity – gym, reading
- 20. Strengthen other protectivefactors Social networks Relationships Meaningful activity 20
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- 25. Enabling helpline use:general advertising 25 Posters in public buildings such as GP surgeries Information where people can note it in private Billboards TV, radio and print media Raising profile of helpline among professionals
- 26. Enabling helpline use:posters 26
- 27. Enabling helpline use:media campaigns 27 TV adverts produced by Stop! NL and the Prevention Project Dunkelfeld.
- 28. Google Adwords: Stopit Now! Two adverts running against 129 keywords
- 29. Splash Pages andWarning Banners Recogniserisk of detection Deter useof online CSA images Recognise behaviour as problematic Engagewith prevention services Recognisesupport availableto address behaviour 29
- 30. 30 Splash Pages andWarning Banners Splash Pages/Warning Banners likely to be most effective when: Early intervention Capacity to manage behaviour High motivation to desist Statement about illegality/ harm + encouragement to seek help
- 31. If you wouldlike further information please visit the website: www.stopitnow-evaluation.co.uk Or email caroline.paskell@natcen.ac.uk Thank you
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- 33. 33 Profile of Stop!UK helpline users Table : Calls to the Helpline by caller group (includes calls and emails), 2013 Caller group Calls Callers N % N % Concerned about own behaviour 3,493 56% 1445 41% Concerned about own behaviour (July-Sept 2014) . 59% . . Concerned about child/young person'sbehaviour 273 4% 198 6% Concerned a child may have been abused 236 4% 201 6% Professionals 331 5% 303 9% Survivorsof child sexual abuse 156 2% 124 4% Other callers 357 6% 301 9%
- 34. Profile of userswho have offended online
- 35. 35 Ongoing increase inusers posing online risk Report from Stop it Now! UK, 2014 “In co m pariso n with the sam e q uarte r last ye ar [July-Se pte m be r] the num be r o f pe o ple co ntacting the He lpline who have o ffe nde d o nline incre ase d by 35% and tho se co nce rne d that the ir Inte rne t use is o ut o f co ntro lincre ase d by 46 % . ” Graph shows Num be r o f ne w calle rs who we re co nce rne d abo ut the ir o wn be havio ur, o ffline and o nline
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- 38. 38 Toolkit A toolkitto assist people across Europe to develop helplines which suit their specific national or local context has been developed from the research. The toolkit does not set out a single model of operation, but outlines key points to consider in developing a suitable helpline for a particular nation, area or user group. Can be downloaded from www.stopitnow-evaluation.co.uk
- 39. 39 Overview Step 1: Mappingthe context Step 2: Defining the aims and objectives Step 3: Identifying the most suitable design Step 4: Structuring the delivery Step 5: Promoting the helpline Step 6: Resourcing the helpline Step 7: Monitoring and evaluating the helpline
Editor's Notes
- #2 The presentation will explain that feedback regarding the service was overwhelmingly positive and specified how it improved users’ ability to: •Recognise behaviours as risky or problematic; •Understand that they could act to prevent sexual abuse; and •Implement techniques and advice on challenging or changing this behavior. There will be discussion of how this frontline child protection service could be enhanced through increased promotion and capacity – and current efforts to tackle online abuse. The presentation will also consider what the differing profile of the UK and Dutch service users may indicate about opportunities for increased impact in the UK.
- #11 The study was financially supported by the Daphne III programme of the European Union, and conducted by NatCen Social Research in the UK and de Waag in the Netherlands. It also drew on the perspectives and experience of Save the Children, Finland, which runs a hotline tackling online child abuse images, and the Prevention Project Dunkelfeld, Germany, which gives free therapeutic support to adults with sexual preference disorder (sexual preference for children).
- #15 Taken collectively the effects identified in this research align with the strengthening of recognised protective factors that may aid desistance from child sexual abuse. Enabling users to recognise the significant harm caused by child sexual abuse Enabling abusers to manage their behaviour Strengthening relationships between abusers and non-abusing partners Reducing the risk of social isolation Increasing engagement in productive and fulfilling activities Improving emotional and psychological wellbeing Enabling users to recognise that behaviour can be addressed Strengthening motivation to desist HOW DO THEY DO THIS? Challenging beliefs that can contribute to sexual offending Guiding and supporting users in specific strategies to reduce risk such as putting restrictions on internet use or finding healthy replacement activities to masturbation Directing users to relevant resources on internet offending Advising users on the importance of close relationships and of how to tell their partner about their offending Suggesting partners contact the Helpline for support Helping identify one or two key people to turn to for support Advising on when and how to disclose offending to others Advising users to remain in employment and increase time spent on activities such as reading; playing or watching sport; socialising with friends. Guiding and supporting users in strategies to improve wellbeing (e.g. breathing exercises; regular exercise) Helping users to recognise positive facets of their character Recognising and highlighting positive achievements towards desistance Explaining that users are responsible for their own behaviour and that change is possible.
- #16 The impacts identified by all participant groups aligned closely with the intended aims of Stop it Now! These impacts were the enhanced ability to: Recognise behaviour as risky or problematic. For example acknowledging that viewing child abuse images is an offence and harmful. Understand that this behaviour is dynamic – it can change and be addressed. For example provide a better understanding of the triggers for viewing child abuse images. Implement techniques and advice on challenging and changing this behaviour. This includes: how to protect individual children from risks posed by an adult; how to assist young people in reducing their risk of sexually harmful behaviour; and how to can manage their own risks for engaging in risky or abusive behaviour. In addition, for users concerned about their own or other people’s behaviour, levels of wellbeing and resilience were reported to have improved following contact with the Helpline. These improvements in turn supported their ability to recognise and address problematic behaviour and assist in preventing further sexual abuse of children.
- #17 Mann et al (2012) study, people talked about how they had no one to discuss their problematic sexual interest with. As has been noted throughout, social and emotional problems are dynamic risk factors for child sexual offending behaviours (Seto, 2013). In this research, participants described how the Helpline had enabled them to begin discussing and exploring their sexual thoughts and behaviour for the first time. Participants commonly described feeling deeply confused and struggled to comprehend what had led them to access child sexual abuse images or to offend in other ways such as committing sexual assault or voyeurism offences. The Helpline staff enabled these people to begin a period of self-reflection, which empowered them to have a greater knowledge of the origins of their behaviour and also were able to challenge their behaviour – and also help family members and other callers to be able to actually recognise what risky behaviour looks likea nd begin to take ownership over talking about this issue and responding to it. Also described other factors in their life that are also well embedded in the literature as being related to the risk of sexual offending. This included an intersection of issues such as difficulties in their intimate relationships, lacking a supportive network; problematic substance use (Hanson & Morton-Bourgon, 2005). Also challenged denial and minimisation
- #18 People who have committed a sexual offence may not believe it is possible to manage the behaviour. They may resign themselves to a vicious cycle of desistance and relapse. This is referred to as a ‘doomed to deviance script’ by Dean et al (2009), and recently reported by Mann et al (2012). Interview participants described the moment at which the Helpline staff had enabled them to understand that sexual abuse is avoidable rather than inevitable, and a new, more fulfilling live was obtainable. This was a significant turning point for some participants and it may be inferred can be the first step towards change. The Helpline assisted users to realise it is possible to change. This could someone wishing to know if their partner could change their behaviour after finding they had accessed images online or someone worried about their own behaviour.
- #19 Empowering people with a problematic sexual interest to self-manage is a key prevention aim of Stop it Now! The Helpline provides advice to potential or actual abusers about actions to take to manage this behaviour. For example, participants who had committed internet offences such as accessing child sexual abuse images had talked with the Helpline about avoiding the internet in the short-term, while others were working with the operator to use the internet more responsibility. This supports the idea of approach goals in the setting of effective and enduring relapse prevention plans (Mann, Webster, Schofield & Marshall, 2004).
- #20 And we found actual (self reported) changes in behaviour: Of the 32 people concerned about themselves who answered this part of the questionnaire, 23 reported ‘they felt more able to manage their sexual thoughts’ and 20 felt ‘more able to manage their sexual behaviour’ since using Stop! These types of behaviour change included: No longer accessing any pornography – gateway Reduce time online or with children Displacement
- #21 Also supported them to maintain social networks, their relationships and continue with employment for example. Gave advice on how to talk to colleagues about the arrest and ecnoruaged to go back to work.